Megan Cassingham (she/they) grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, and is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) with a PhD in inorganic chemistry. Her graduate research focused on materials development and discovery for solar applications. Cassingham’s dedication to advocacy and education extended to her role representing the graduate student population as a bargaining team member to secure the first academic union contract in USC’s history. She is particularly interested in energy policy and implementing green energy solutions to combat climate change.

Mariliis “Mary” Eensalu (she/her) has a background in applied sciences, climate change, and international diplomacy. She is passionate about bridging the gap between science, industry, and society. In addition to a master’s degree from the University of Tallinn (Estonia) and a PhD from Northern Illinois University, Eensalu has developed a well-rounded skillset in public communication and federal communication, technical writing, policy drafting, and securing research funding. She gained valuable experience through involvement in the Baltic-American Freedom Foundation Professional Internship (2016-2017) and the Estonian School of Diplomacy program (2017-2018). She brings an interdisciplinary perspective to her work, combining her knowledge of science, policy, and international relations to drive positive change.

Elana Goldenkoff (she/her) received her PhD in kinesiology at the University of Michigan where she researched how the brain’s motor control networks facilitate movement. She is passionate about science policy and promoting community and civic engagement among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and professionals. She explores how people in STEM fields consider the ethical and social implications of their work and trains others on building equitable and sustainable community partnerships.

Emily Laurilliard (she/her) is a biomedical engineer with over a decade of research experience focused on advancing regenerative medicine therapies through innovative cellular and tissue engineering approaches. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before earning a master’s degree and PhD in biomedical engineering at Cornell University. During her PhD, Emily studied how muscle stem cells and vascular endothelial cells interact during skeletal muscle repair to understand how these interactions may contribute to diseases associated with muscle loss. Throughout her professional career, Emily has been deeply committed to STEM education outreach, public engagement, and mentorship. She served as the outreach chair for Cornell’s Graduate Biomedical Engineering Society and actively participated in various local K-12 STEM activities. Her passion for science policy and advocacy grew during graduate school, leading her to co-found the New York State Science and Technology (NYSST) Policy Network.

Anqesha Murray (she/her) completed her PhD in biology at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). She was awarded the National Institute on Aging Training Program in Alzheimer’s Disease Clinical and Translational Research training grant. Her thesis project focused on the structural basis and cellular mechanisms of interactions in Alzheimer’s disease and microglial activation. Murray served as communications chair for the Alzheimer’s Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment (ISTAART) Professional Interest Group to Elevate Early Career Researchers Executive Committee. In addition, she has commercialized multiple companies ranging from a non-profit to a small business and biomed/biotech startup space. Murray also co-founded ADuCare, a cognitive decline tracking application commercialized out of RPI.

Isabel Yannatos (they/them/she/her) is passionate about bridging science and policy to move toward health equity. Yannatos studied biophysics at Tufts University and received a PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Pennsylvania. Their dissertation focused on how the external environment and socioeconomic status are internalized to influence age-related health among older Black and white Americans. They have also worked on advocacy around improving Black maternal health and health and safety in public schools at local, state, and national levels. Yannatos is excited to use their research and communication skills to advance policy solutions and mitigate health disparities in New York.